Let’s be real—exam season in India feels less like a test of knowledge and more like a test of survival. Between the massive NCERT chapters, the pressure of board exams, and the endless cycle of coaching classes, it’s easy to feel like you’re drowning. You’re told to “study hard,” but nobody tells you how to manage the sheer volume of information without burning out.
This is where AI comes in. But here is the problem: there are thousands of “magic” tools being advertised to students right now. Most of them are just distractions. If you spend three hours trying to figure out a new app, you’ve actually lost study time. Choosing the best AI tools for marks isn’t about using everything; it’s about finding the ones that actually save you time and lower your cortisol levels.
At Techziee, we don’t do “hype.” This AI tools review for students is based on practical, honest testing. We’ve looked at these tools through the eyes of a student who has a pre-board tomorrow and only five hours to revise. No fluff, just facts.
How This Review Is Done (Trust Builder)
To make this review helpful, we evaluated each tool based on four strict “Student-First” criteria:
-
Ease of Use: Can you learn it in under 5 minutes?
-
Exam Utility: Does it actually help with memorization, understanding, or practice papers?
-
Stress Reduction: Does it make a difficult task feel easier, or does it add more tech-stress?
-
Practicality: Is the free version enough for an average Indian student?
We also prioritize ethical and exam-safe usage. These tools are meant to be your “Digital Tutors,” not “Ghostwriters.” If a tool encourages cheating, it doesn’t make our list.
1. NotebookLM (by Google)
Used for: Organizing messy notes and turning textbooks into interactive study guides.
NotebookLM is a “grounded” AI. This means it only looks at the documents you upload. It won’t give you random facts from the internet; it will only tell you what is in your specific syllabus.
-
Best Features: The “Audio Overview” (which turns notes into a podcast) and the “Source-Grounded” Q&A.
-
How it Boosts Marks: It ensures you don’t miss small details hidden in long chapters.
-
Stress Reduction: It handles the “Information Overload” by summarizing only what is relevant to you.
-
Student Use-Case: Ananya, a Class 12 student, uploaded 10 PDFs of her History notes. She used the “Audio Overview” to listen to her syllabus while traveling to her tuition, saving an hour of reading time every day.
-
Pros: Very accurate; citing sources is a lifesaver; completely free.
-
Cons: Only works with the files you provide; can’t search the live web for news.
-
Best for: Students with heavy reading subjects like History, Sociology, or Biology.
Overall Verdict: This is currently the gold standard for stress-free study tools. It’s safe, accurate, and feels like having a private librarian who has read all your books.
2. ChatGPT (Free Version)
Used for: Explaining complex concepts and creating study schedules.
Most students use ChatGPT to “write things,” but its real power is in “explaining things.” It is the ultimate 24/7 tutor that never gets annoyed when you ask the same question ten times.
-
Best Features: “Explain like I’m five” (ELI5) and table generation.
-
How it Boosts Marks: It clears up conceptual confusion. If you don’t understand why a formula works, you can’t apply it in an exam.
-
Stress Reduction: It provides instant answers at 2 AM when your teacher or friends aren’t available.
-
Student Use-Case: Rahul couldn’t understand the “Laws of Motion.” He asked ChatGPT to explain it using examples from Cricket. The analogy stuck, and he scored full marks on that section in his unit test.
-
Pros: Incredibly versatile; works in multiple languages (including Hindi/English mix); great for planning.
-
Cons: Can sometimes give wrong facts (hallucinations); free version has limits on peak hours.
-
Best for: Students who struggle with “understanding the logic” behind Math or Physics.
Overall Verdict: It’s a powerful companion, but you must verify its facts. Use it for logic and planning, but keep your textbook open to check the data.
3. Knowt
Used for: Active recall through flashcards and practice quizzes.
If Quizlet and ChatGPT had a baby that was free for students, it would be Knowt. It takes your notes or a YouTube video link and automatically creates a quiz for you.
-
Best Features: “Import from Quizlet” and “Video to Quiz.”
-
How it Boosts Marks: It forces “Active Recall.” Testing yourself is proven to be 3x more effective than just re-reading notes.
-
Stress Reduction: It takes the “manual work” out of making flashcards.
-
Student Use-Case: For her NEET prep, Priya pasted a link to a biology lecture video. Knowt generated 20 flashcards from the video, which she practiced while eating lunch.
-
Pros: Free active recall features; links to educational videos; great mobile app.
-
Cons: The interface can be a bit busy/cluttered with ads in the free version.
-
Best for: Students who need to memorize many definitions, formulas, or dates.
Overall Verdict: An essential exam preparation AI review favorite. It’s the best free alternative to paid study apps and keeps your revision sessions short and “punchy.”
4. Perplexity AI
Used for: Quick, cited research and fact-checking.
Perplexity is a “search engine with a brain.” Unlike a standard search, it gives you a concise answer and tells you exactly which website it got the information from.
-
Best Features: Real-time web citations and “Related Questions.”
-
How it Boosts Marks: It ensures the facts you put in your projects or essays are actually true and cited.
-
Stress Reduction: You don’t have to click through 10 different websites to find one answer.
-
Student Use-Case: During a Geography project, Kabir needed the latest statistics on India’s renewable energy. Perplexity found the 2025 government report and summarized it in seconds.
-
Pros: Citations prevent “AI lies”; very fast; no need to create an account for basic searches.
-
Cons: Not great for “creative” writing or deep concept explanation compared to others.
-
Best for: Students doing project work, current affairs, or general knowledge.
Overall Verdict: If you need a fact right now and you need to be sure it’s correct, this is the tool. It’s like a smarter, faster Google.
5. Canva (Magic Design)
Used for: Creating professional presentations and mind maps.
In internal assessments, the “look” of your work matters. Canva’s AI features allow students who aren’t “artistic” to create beautiful, high-scoring projects.
-
Best Features: “Magic Design” (Text to PPT) and Mind Map templates.
-
How it Boosts Marks: High-quality visuals often lead to better marks in internal assignments and practicals.
-
Stress Reduction: It saves hours of fiddling with fonts and colors.
-
Student Use-Case: Simran had to make a presentation on “The Water Cycle.” She typed her outline into Canva, and the AI chose the images, layout, and colors for her.
-
Pros: Huge library of free assets; very professional results; easy to share.
-
Cons: Some of the best icons are “Pro” (paid); requires a stable internet connection.
-
Best for: Students who have many “Internal Assessment” projects or presentations.
Overall Verdict: A great “confidence builder.” When your work looks professional, you feel more professional during your Viva or presentation.
6. Otter.ai
Used for: Transcribing lectures and voice notes.
Otter records your voice (or a teacher’s lecture, with permission) and turns it into written text that you can search later.
-
Best Features: Keyword search within audio and automated summaries.
-
How it Boosts Marks: You never miss a point mentioned by the teacher in class.
-
Stress Reduction: You can focus on listening to the teacher instead of frantically trying to write every word down.
-
Student Use-Case: Tushar uses Otter during his coaching classes. Later, he just searches for “Parabola” in the transcript to find exactly what the teacher said about that specific topic.
-
Pros: Very accurate transcription; allows you to add images to notes.
-
Cons: The free version has a monthly minute limit; needs clear audio.
-
Best for: College students or coaching students who attend long lectures.
Overall Verdict: It’s a niche tool, but for students who struggle to keep up with fast-talking teachers, it’s a life-saver for making complete notes.
7. Goblin Tools (Formalizer)
Used for: Cleaning up messy writing and managing “To-Do” lists.
This is a hidden gem. It’s a very simple set of tools designed to help people who feel “overwhelmed.” The “Formalizer” turns your “chat language” into professional-sounding English.
-
Best Features: The “Magic To-Do” (breaks one big task into tiny steps) and the “Formalizer.”
-
How it Boosts Marks: It helps you write better emails to teachers and more professional-sounding answers for Humanities subjects.
-
Stress Reduction: The Magic To-Do is incredible for anxiety—it turns “Study Physics” into 10 tiny, easy steps.
-
Student Use-Case: Ishita felt paralyzed by her 50-page Economics project. She typed “Finish Eco Project” into Goblin Tools, and the AI gave her a step-by-step checklist that felt much easier to handle.
-
Pros: Completely free; no account needed; very simple; great for neurodivergent students.
-
Cons: Very basic; doesn’t have the “intelligence” of ChatGPT for complex topics.
-
Best for: Students who struggle with procrastination and feeling overwhelmed.
Overall Verdict: The most “human” tool on the list. It’s designed to stop you from panicking and get you moving.
Comparison Table: Quick AI Tool Guide
| Tool Name | Best Use Case | Difficulty | Stress Reduction |
| NotebookLM | Analyzing your own notes/PDFs | Easy | High |
| ChatGPT | Explaining logic & concepts | Easy | Medium |
| Knowt | Memorization & Quizzing | Medium | High |
| Perplexity | Quick, cited fact-finding | Easy | Medium |
| Canva | Projects & Presentations | Medium | Medium |
| Otter.ai | Lecture Transcription | Easy | Low (Prep heavy) |
| Goblin Tools | Breaking down big tasks | Very Easy | High |
Which Students Should Use These AI Tools?
-
The Average Student: Focus on ChatGPT and NotebookLM. These will help you understand the concepts you missed in class and organize your study material.
-
The Struggling Student: Use Goblin Tools to stop the panic and Knowt to learn at least the basic definitions through games/quizzes.
-
The Topper: Use Perplexity to find “extra” points for your answers and NotebookLM to find tiny gaps in your deep revision.
-
The Last-Minute Revision: Go straight to NotebookLM’s Audio Overview and Knowt’s practice tests. Don’t waste time making new notes.
Common Mistakes Students Make Using AI Tools
Using AI is a skill. Avoid these three common traps:
-
Over-Dependence: If you use AI to generate your answers instead of understanding them, you will fail the final exam. The AI won’t be in the exam hall with you.
-
The “Copy-Paste” Disaster: Teachers are becoming very good at spotting “AI-sounding” English. Always rewrite AI output in your own words.
-
Tool Overload: Don’t try to use all 7 tools today. Pick one that solves your biggest problem (e.g., “I can’t memorize”) and master it.
Ethical & Safe Use of AI Tools for Exams
We believe AI should be your study partner, not your substitute.
-
Help vs. Cheating: Using AI to explain a math step is learning. Using AI to write your homework and pretending you did it is cheating.
-
Long-term Learning: Always ask the AI: “Why is this the answer?” This builds your brain.
-
Privacy: Be careful about uploading personal information. Stick to uploading your academic notes and textbooks.
Conclusion: Smart Usage Over Shortcuts
At the end of the day, no AI tool can “give” you marks. Marks are a result of your focus, your calmness, and your understanding. However, these tools can clear away the “rubbish”—the boring, time-consuming, and stressful parts of studying—so you can focus on what actually matters.
If you are feeling stressed right now, pick just one tool from this review. Maybe it’s NotebookLM for your notes or Goblin Tools to plan your day. Start small.
You are capable of doing great things. Don’t let a thick textbook or a scary syllabus convince you otherwise. Use the tech, keep your confidence high, and go get those marks!


